Heat transfer systems for electronic displays generally attempt to remove heat from the heat-generating electronic components through as many sidewalls of the display as possible. In order to do this, some systems of the past have relied primarily on fans for moving air past the components to be cooled and out of the display. Components which are known for producing a large amount of heat may have a ‘heat sink’ attached to the component which provides an expanded surface area so that heat may be transferred away from the component. However, these heat sinks are traditionally attached to the component itself and are limited by the size and shape of the component itself. While such heat transfer systems have enjoyed a measure of success in the past, improvements to displays require even greater cooling capabilities.
Modern displays have become extremely bright, with some backlights producing 1,000-2,000 nits or more. Sometimes, these illumination levels are necessary because the display is being used outdoors, or in other relatively bright areas where the display illumination must compete with other ambient light. In order to produce this level of brightness, illumination devices (ex. LED, organic LED, light emitting polymer (LEP), organic electro luminescence (OEL), and plasma assemblies) may produce a relatively large amount of heat. Further, the illumination devices require a relatively large amount of power in order to generate the required brightness level. This large amount of power is typically supplied through one or more power supplies/modules for the display. These power supplies may also become a significant source of heat for the display.
Further, displays of the past were primarily designed for operation near room temperature. However, it is now desirable to have displays which are capable of withstanding large surrounding environmental temperature variations. For example, some displays may be designed to operate at temperatures as low as −22 F and as high as 113 F or higher. When surrounding temperatures rise, the cooling of the internal display components can become even more difficult.
Still further, in some situations radiative heat transfer from the sun through a front display surface can also become a source of heat. In some locations 200 Watts or more through such a front display surface is common. Furthermore, the market is demanding larger screen sizes for displays. With increased electronic display screen size and corresponding front display surfaces, more heat will be generated and more heat will be transmitted into the displays.